Travel Characteristics of Older
and Disabled People in the
Colombo District, Sri Lanka
Varuni Tennakoon1*, Roshini Peiris-John2, Rajitha Wickemasinghe3 and
Shanthi Ameratunga2
1
University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Sri Lanka
2
University of Auckland, New Zealand
3
University of Kelaniya, Dalugama, Sri Lanka
*Corresponding author: Email: varuni16email@yahoo.com
1 INTRODUCTION
Abundant opportunities for active travel
and social participation confer many co-
benefits for the health and wellbeing of
older people and people living with
disability (Saunders et al., 2013).
However, barriers to realising these
benefits are common in many low-and
middle-income countries.
Sri Lanka reports a growing number of
road traffic injuries and fatalities with
increased motorization and expanding
traffic mix particularly in the district of
Colombo (Dharmaratne et al., 2015;
Toroyan, 2013). The older people and
people living with disabilities are at higher
risk of road traffic crashes and injuries
(Peden, 2004). According to road crash
statistics in 2013, over one-fourth of the
fatal crashes were among people 60 years
or older in Sri Lanka (University of
Moratuwa, 2014).
Compared to many lower-middle income
countries, the population of older people
in Sri Lanka is greater, and increasing
relatively quickly (De Silva, 2007). The
World Health Survey conducted from
2002 to 2004 reported a disability
prevalence of 12.9% in Sri Lanka and a
crude prevalence of disability among
adults (aged 50 years and above) of 27.2%
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(Hosseinpoor et al., 2016). These trends,
when considered in concert with current
economic burdens in Sri Lanka, create a
strong need to better understand the future
mobility needs of these vulnerable road
user groups in order to provide cost-
effective and safe transportation. The
current lack of information on
transportation details of older and disabled
people is a deficiency addressed by this
research.
This study aimed to describe travel
characteristics (i.e. modes, purpose,
distance etc.) and involvement of road
traffic crashes among older and disabled
people living in the Colombo district, Sri
Lanka.
2 METHODOLOGY
2.1 Study design, setting and
participants
A household travel survey was conducted
in three purposively selected contiguous
Divisional Secretary (DS) divisions of
Dehiwala, Ratmalana and Kesbewa in the
Colombo district. Study participants were
disabled people (aged 5 years and older)
with physical, sensory, learning or
mobility impairment, and older people (60
years and above).
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A total of 180 households were randomly
selected from lists maintained at the
authorities of Divisional Secretariats.
Sixty (60) households in each DS division
were identified (30 from the elderly list
and 30 from the disabled list) such that 30
households have at least one older person
and other 30 have at least one disabled
person. Thus a total of 180 households
were included. A pilot-tested semi-
structured interviewer administered
questionnaire was completed at the
participants’ house following informed
written consent. Semi-structured
questionnaires are widely used to conduct
travel surveys and to identify travel
characteristics (Delbosc and Currie,
2010). Ethical approval for this study was
granted by the Ethics Review Committee,
Faculty of Medical Sciences, University
of Sri Jayewardenepura, Ref. 48/16.
2.2 Data analysis
Data were entered in to SPSS software
files, entries were verified with original
data. Frequency distributions were
generated.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Demographic distribution of the
study population
The 180 participants were categorized in
to three groups for statistical analysis:
older people with disability (n=95;
52.8%), older people without disability
(n=18; 10%) and other (young or middle-
aged) people with disability (n=67;
37.2%). Over 94% of participants lived
with their spouses or families. This
reflects the socio-cultural background in
Sri Lanka that supports the extended
family concept. The demographic
characteristics of the study participants are
shown in Table 1.
Of the people above 60 years, 84% had
some kind of disability. The ethnic
distribution of the study population which
was predominated by Sinhalese may
164
reflect the general population in the
selected DS divisions (Department of
Census and Statistics, 2012). However,
there could be an underrepresentation of
Tamils, Muslims and other ethnic groups
in the lists that were obtained for sampling
in the study. Nearly 60% of the
participants had primary education or less.
More than 75% of the study sample earned
less than Rs 20,000 per month.
Visual impairments were seen in 39% of
older people and learning impairments
were seen in 73% of persons under 60
years of age. The type of disability may be
a deciding factor influencing travel in this
population.
3.2 Travel characteristics
A travel trip is defined for this study as an
uninterrupted travel to a specific
destination. A 52% of the study population
used public bus for travel trips and 28%
used the three-wheeler as the mode of
transport. Travel characteristics of the
study population are shown in Table 2.
A 49% of the study sample has travelled
the previous day while a cumulative
percent of 82 has travelled within the
previous week. Analyses of consecutive
48-hour travel details immediately
preceding the date of the interview
showed that older people with or without
disability mostly travel to participate in a
social meeting. Travel purposes common
for people less than 60 years were to go to
shops, hospital and the school. More than
50% of the travel trips among people
living with disabilities were within 1km
distance. In contrast, nearly 53% of older
people without disability travel within a
distance of 10 km. Frequent short trips
mainly for social meetings is a
commendable trend as it enhances the
livelihood and well-being of the
participants (Hand, 2015). However, the
limited travel trips to distant places may
reflect transport barriers these groups
encounter.
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Table 1: Demographic distribution of the study population

Older people without Older people with Other people with
Category
disability (n=18) disability (n=95) disability (n=67)
n (%) n (%) n (%)
Male 13 (72.2) 61 (64.2) 26 (38.8)
Gender
Female 5(27.8) 34 (35.8) 41 (61.2)
Sinhala 18 (100) 94 (98.9) 60 (89.5)
Ethnicity Tamil 0 0 4 (6)
Muslim 0 1 (1.1) 3 (4.5)
No/Primary 5 (27.8) 57 (60) 45 (67.2)
Education Secondary 11 (61.1) 33 (34.7) 6 (8.9)
level Tertiary 2 (11.1) 4 (4.2) 1 (1.5)
Other 0 1 (1.1) 15 (22.4)
Children (<18) 15 (22.4)
Monthly No income 7 (38.9) 26 (27.4) 14 (20.9)
income Rs 1-20000 9 (50) 50 (52.6) 35 (52.2)
Rs>20000 2 (11.1) 19 (20) 3 (4.5)
Visual 37 (38.9) 9 (13.4)
Speech 7 (7.4) 22 (32.8)
Hearing 17 (17.9) 10 (14.9)
Type of
disability* Walking 12 (12.7) 21 (31.3)
Learning 6 (6.4) 49 (73.1)
Other (arthritis, 48 (50.5) 5 (7.5)
aches/pain etc.)
*An individual may have had more than one disability

Table 2: Travel characteristics of the study population

Category Older people without Older people with Other people with
disability disability disability
n (%)(n=18) n (%)(n=95) n (%)(n=67)
Mode of Public bus 11 (61.1) 53 (55.8) 29 (43.3)
transport Taxi 4 (22.2) 18 (18.9) 29 (43.3)
Walking 1(5.6) 13 (13.7) 3 (4.4)
Other 2 (11.1) 11 (11.6) 6 (9)
Last day of Previous day 13 (72.2) 50 (52.6) 25 (37.3)
travel Within last week 4 (22.2) 33 (34.7) 23 (34.3)
> a week 1 (5.6) 12 (12.6) 19 (28.4)
Travel Social meeting 15 (27.3) 43 (18.6) 1 (0.8)
purpose** Shop 0 17 (7.4) 12 (9.4)
Hospital 5 (9.1) 11 (4.8) 12 (9.4)
Work 2 (3.6) 5 (2.2) 7 (5.5)
School 0 0 9 (7.1)
Home and other 33 (60) 155 (67.1) 86 (67.7)
Travel 1km or less 18 (32.7) 118 (51.1) 67 (52.8)
distance** >1km-10km 29 (52.7) 88 (38.1) 54 (42.5)
>10km 8 (14.5) 25 (10.8) 6 (4.7)

**within a consecutive 48-hour period. An individual may have had one or many travel trips

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3.3 Road traffic crashes involved in
the previous year
Thirteen (13) participants reported being
involved in road traffic crashes in the
previous year. Five participants were
injured due to falls when getting down or
getting on to bus. Others were injured
from road traffic crashes involving three
wheelers (n=3) or motor bikes (n=2). One
crash victim had sustained irreversible
injuries and four others reported moderate
to severe injuries.
The increased risk for road traffic injury
with decline in capabilities that impair
cognitive, sensory and psychomotor
functions and less resistant to trauma
among older and people living with
disabilities is well documented (Chang et
al., 2016). In this study 7% of the study
population had been involved in a road
traffic crash and nearly 40% of them
sustained major injuries in the 12 months
before the survey.
4 CONCLUSIONS
This study identified that older and
disabled people in the study sample were
generally of poor educational and
economic backgrounds. The majority of
the older population was afflicted with
disabilities. The older and disabled people
mainly travel short distances and rely on
the public bus for transport. Many
participants had sustained major injuries
when involved in a road crash. More
research is needed to identify the specific
barriers for safe transportation of these
interested groups. It is also imperative that
relevant authorities in Sri Lanka develop
strategies to address issues of safe
transportation and to accommodate the
needs of marginalized groups in future
transportation systems. This in-turn will
enhance the quality of life and well-being
of older people and people living with
disabilities.
166
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